Updates

Use of firearms

On 12 Feb. '10, an altercation took place in Hebron between soldiers and Faiz Faraj, a local. When Faraj walked away, the soldiers shot and wounded him. B'Tselem's investigation raises the suspicion that they then shot him again, although he no longer posed a threat to their lives, and delayed his evacuation.

B'Tselem has written urgently to the judge advocate general demanding that he immediately order a Military Police investigation into the circumstances of the firing of phosphorus shells at the UNWRA compound in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. This is a particularly severe incident, and disciplinary hearings are clearly not an adequate punitive measure.

According to testimonies given to B'Tselem, on 1 Jan. '10, a soldier fired a rubber-coated metal bullet at the head of 10-year-old Mu'ataz al-Hawaja from Ni'lin, while chasing him during a demonstration against the Separation Barrier. B'Tselem demanded a criminal investigation of the incident.

Human rights organizations in Israel reissued their call to the Government of Israel to establish, without delay, an independent and impartial investigation mechanism to thoroughly examine the allegations raised regarding violations of international law during Operation Cast Lead.

On 26 Dec. '09, soldiers killed three Palestinians who were suspected of killing Rabbi Meir Chai on 24 Dec. B'Tselem’s investigation raises grave suspicion that no attempt was made to arrest at least two of the suspects before they were shot.

One year ago today, Operation Cast Lead began. 762 Palestinians who did not take part in the hostilities were killed, and vast damage was caused to houses, factories, and infrastructure in Gaza. Israel has not yet instituted an independent apparatus to investigate the violations committed by the army during the operation, and nobody has been brought to justice.

Twice this month, soldiers fired 22-caliber bullets at demonstrators against the Separation Barrier in Ni'lin, injuring four. This contradicts the JAG's statement that this potentially lethal ammunition is not a means to disperse demonstrators, and that stringent rules apply to its use.

B'Tselem has commemorated 20 years since its founding by releasing data on human rights in the Occupied Territories during this period. 7398 Palestinians, 995 Israeli civilians and 488 members of the Israeli security forces were killed in the conflict. At least 10,000 Palestinian homes were demolished for various alleged reasons.

The Military Police are investigating some 21 incidents from Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. However, these investigations address specific incidents and will not address larger policy questions. They will also not examine the responsibility of civilian leaders, nor of senior military officers for potential war crimes. B'Tselem repeats its demand for Israel to conduct an effective, independent investigation into its conduct in Cast Lead.

The Military Police are investigating some 21 incidents from Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. However, these investigations address specific incidents and will not address larger policy questions. They will also not examine the responsibility of civilian leaders, nor of senior military officers for potential war crimes. B'Tselem repeats its demand for Israel to conduct an effective, independent investigation into its conduct in Cast Lead.

On 22 Sept. '09, Rabi’ a-Tawil, from East Jerusalem, entered Israel through the Mevo Beitar checkpoint. At a nearby gas station, soldiers took his identifying documents and went to the checkpoint. A-Tawil continued to a second gas station, some two kilometers from the checkpoint, where soldiers shot and killed him, although he did not endanger them.

On 9 Oct. '09, Firas al-Atrash stood near his parents' home in East Jerusalem while riots took place. According to his testimony, when he asked Israeli policemen pretending to be stone throwers to leave the area, they beat him severely, breaking his arm and nose.

B'Tselem is persistently advocating for Israel to implement the principal recommendation of the Goldstone report and mount an independent investigation into suspicions that Israeli forces breached international humanitarian law in Operation Cast Lead.

With the publication of the Goldstone Committee report today, human rights organizations in Israel are studying the report and its conclusions, and they call upon the Israeli Government to take the report seriously and to refrain from automatically rejecting its findings or denying its legitimacy.

B'Tselem releases comprehensive casualty figures from the three-week operation. The enormous toll on civilians - including the death of 320 minors - requires serious introspection on the part of the military, the government, and Israeli society as a whole.

While the military has attacked the credibility of soldiers' testimonies regarding Operation Cast Lead, it has failed to open a single serious investigation into events detailed by Palestinian witnesses to B'Tselem.

In recent months, security forces have used 0.22-caliber bullets to disperse demonstrators, killing two unarmed Palestinians. Yet in a reply to B'Tselem, the JAG stated that this ammunition is not intended for dispersing demonstrators.

In July '08, a soldier shot a handcuffed detainee in the presence of his commander, yet the two were charged only with "unbecoming conduct". Today, the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled in favor of changing the indictments to reflect the gravity of the offense.